The architectural practice around the Swiss born and New York based architect Bernard Tschumi realised the New Acropolis Museum in Athens, which is located within spitting distance of the world famous archaelogical excavation.

“The challenges of designing the New Acropolis Museum began with the responsibility of housing the most dramatic sculptures of Greek antiquity. This collection of objects shaped the program even before a site was chosen. The building’s polemical location added further layers of responsibility to the design. Located at the foot of the Acropolis, the site confronted us with sensitive archeological excavations, with the presence of the contemporary city and its street grid and with the Parthenon itself, one of the most influential buildings in Western civilization. Combined with a hot climate in an earthquake region, these conditions moved us to design a simple and precise museum with the mathematical and conceptual clarity of ancient Greece.

We first articulated the building into a base, middle and top, which are designed around the specific needs of each part of the program. The base of the museum floats on pilotis over the existing archeological excavations, protecting and consecrating the site with a network of columns placed in careful negotiation with experts so as not to disturb the sensitive work. This level contains the entrance lobby as well as temporary exhibition spaces, an auditorium, and all support facilities.”

“A glass ramp overlooking the archeological excavations leads to the galleries in the middle, in the form of a spectacular double-height room supported by tall columns. This level accommodates displays from the Archaic period to the Roman Empire.

The top, which is made up of the rectangular Parthenon Gallery arranged around an indoor court, rotates gently to orient the marbles of the Frieze exactly as they were at the Parthenon centuries ago. Its transparent enclosure provides ideal light for sculpture in direct view to and from the Acropolis using the most contemporary glass technology to protect the gallery against excessive heat and light. This new setting will offer an unprecedented context for understanding the accomplishments of the Acropolis complex. One of the goals of the top gallery is to reunite the Parthenon Frieze, currently dispersed in several world museums.”

The Basel based architects Herzog & de Meuron greatly enriched the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein, where architectural icons such as Alvaro Siza, Frank Gehry, Tadao Ando and Zaha Hadid carried out some of their most expressive works. Herzog & de Meuron’s stacked archetypical houses are the new domicile for Vitra’s Home Collection and will from now on be open Monday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm.

VitraHaus by Herzog & de Meuron, photo by Iwan Baan

“The concept of the VitraHaus connects two themes that appear repeatedly in the oeuvre of Herzog & de Meuron: the theme of the archetypal house and the theme of stacked volumes. In Weil am Rhein, it was especially appropriate to return to the idea of the ur -house, since the primary purpose of the five-storey building is to present furnishings and objects for the home. Due to the proportions and dimensions of the interior spaces – the architects use the term ‘domestic scale’ – the showrooms are reminiscent of familiar residential settings. The individual ‘houses’, which have the general characteristics of a display space, are conceived as abstract elements. With just a few exceptions, only the gable ends are glazed, and the structural volumes seem to have been shaped with an extrusion press. Stacked into a total of five storeys and breathtakingly cantilevered up to fifteen metres in some places, the twelve houses, whose floor slabs intersect the underlying gables, create a three-dimensional assemblage – a pile of houses that, at first glance, has an almost chaotic appearance.”

The Berlin and London based Pott Architects realised the new Art Campus in Berlin. The nested and spanned façade is made of a translucent membrane and part of an entire conversion of an old warehouse into a new centre for Contemporary Art.

Art Campus by Pott Architects, photo by Rudi Meisl

Here is what the architects explain:

“The opening of the New Central Berlin Station ´Hauptbahnhof´ in 2006 brought the vacant stretch of land to the north of the Spree curve into the focus of public interest.

The area – which covers the surface area of 40 football pitches and is twice as large as the Sony Centre in Potsdamer Platz and Daimler City – will in time be developed into an urban accommodation complex, complete with an art campus, Marina, flats, offices and restaurants.

A key component in the redevelopment of the area was the transformation of an old warehouse into a new centre for Contemporary Art, by Berlin and London based Pott Architects.

They were already commissioned to draw up a master plan for the Art Campus Berlin Project in the area around Hamburger Bahnhof, which was formerly home to numerous warehouses and brownfield sites.

Located directly at the Berlin Spandauer Canal their art forum entitled ‘Halle am Wasser’ appears as a folded sculptural shape at the water´s edge and is now home to contemporary art galleries covering a total area of 2500 square meters.”

Art Campus by Pott Architects, photo by Rudi Meisl

“Pott architects succeeded in transforming the formerly insignificant warehouse into a crystalline object, replacing the wretched façade with a multifunctional membrane foil that allows natural daylight into the exhibition halls and maintains a light and sculptural aesthetic from the outside.

The steel skeleton and walls of the hall were adapted to meet the needs of the new users.

The hall is divided into 6 units, between 280 to 600 square meters.

Each unit has its own sanitary and office space, located in a structural cube that sits away from the internal walls of the unit, with sanitary and storage spaces located at ground level and office space above.”

Art Campus by Pott Architects, photo by Rudi Meisl

“The completion of the project was the starting signal for the regeneration and cultural use of the whole area to the north of the Spree.

The transformation of the ‘Halle am Wasser’ in addition to the existing art institutions in the area such as the Hamburger Bahnhof, the Flick Collection and numerous artist´s studios has ensured that the area is a significant part of the Berlin art scene and a centre of attraction for art enthusiasts worldwide. From 2010 the area is to be extended further to the west of Heidestrasse and the north of the central station, with more office units and residential developments planned.” (Nadine Claudius)

This was her latest coup and it was as loud as we expectetd it to be. Close to the historical center of the antique world’s capital the London based Zaha Hadid Architects realised the new Contemporary Arts Centre – ‘MAXXI’.

Contemporary Arts Centre “MAXXI” Rome, photo by Hélène Binet

“The MAXXI relates with the urban context within which it is set by renewing the horizontal development of the former military barracks. The geometrical plan of the project aligns itself with the two urban grids that regulate the town planning structure of the area and the new interpretation of these two geometrical plans within the proposal generates the surprising geometrical complexity of the campus. The two urban grids are mediated by sinuous lines that harmonise the plan and facilitate the flow within the site. The pedestrian walkway that crosses the campus is open to the public and has been reinstated after approximately 100 years of being blocked by the barracks. This walkway follows the soft outline of the museum, sliding below the upper level galleries towards Via Masaccio. The interior of the MAXXI can be seen by visitors and pedestrians through the numerous openings in the MAXXI’s curvilinear walls that on the one hand, protect its contents, yet beckon the visitor through the broad glazed surface on the ground floor.”

Contemporary Arts Centre “MAXXI” Rome, photo by Hélène Binet

“The main concept of the project is directly linked to the purpose of the building as a centre for the exhibition of visual arts. The walls that cross the space, and their intersections, defines interior and exterior spaces of the MAXXI. This system acts on all three levels of the building, the second of which is the more complex – with a wealth of connections with various bridges that link buildings and galleries. The visitor is invited to enter into a series of continuous spaces, rather than the compact volume of an isolated building.”

Contemporary Arts Centre “MAXXI” Rome, photo by Hélène Binet

“The interior spaces, defined by the exhibition walls, are covered by a glass roof that flood the galleries with natural light filtered by the louvered lines of the roofing beams. These beams underline the linearity of the spatial system, aid in articulating the various orientations of the galleries and facilitate circulation through the museum and campus.”

Wed 23.9.

Last year the Austrian architects querkraft unveiled the Museum Liaunig in Neuhaus in Carinthia, which houses the collection of contemporary art of industrialist and art collector Herbert W. Liaunig and a collection of Akan gold objects.

The long gallery section is the only part of the building that is visible from the outside and offers views of the landscape from its terraces. The remainder of the museum is subterranean.

Museum Lianunig by querkraft

Here is what the architects say:

Place:

The Museum Liaunig projects out on two sides over steep-sided ground, high up in the landscape. A cut through the hill marks a precise intervention in nature.

Sign:

Planted into the site the new museum emerges more like a work of landart. only a small part of the outstretched museum building is visible.

Cut through the hill, the main body of the museum slices athrough a densely-wooded, steep-sided embankment, providing an unparalleled view over the river drau seventy metres below. The building cantilevers an impressive thirty metres out, over a steep bank towards the approach road – clearly visible to approaching visitors.

Museum Lianunig by querkraft

Viewing storage:

The museum entrance zone is orientated toward both the centre of Neuhaus and the nearby historical castle owned by the museum’s patron. The substantial viewing storage depot is one of the main areas of the museum. stretching the whole length of the gently sloping approach to the main exhibition hall, visitors are accompanied by this ‘wine cellar of art’. This underground volume offers the possibility to organise a variety of exhibitions by virtue of flexible screens and lighting arrangements.

Art gallery:

The building’s core is a 160metre long, fully daylit exhibition hall, with protected terraces at each end. The continuous 13metre wide, 7metre high room is covered by a part translucent curved-skin – an industrial element permitting daylight. The hall is organised with mobile exhibition panels.

Entrance

Graphic collection and gold collection:

The daylight-free, gently conical room for the graphic collection lies adjacent the ramped entrance. The collection is enclosed by the main hall and is orientated towards the entrance. A window facing Neuhaus at the end of the graphic collection sits over the foyer. The gold collection is a separate chamber connected by a small corridor. Brigitte Kowanz’s light installation accompanies the way to the underground collection.

Efficiency and sustainability:

The high cost of the external envelope is avoided by sinking the majority of the building below ground. Rather than removing the soil, excavated ground is used to remodel the site. Industrial materials like concrete, glass and sheet metal dominate the visible portion of the building. Set into the hill, the building benefits from the temperate environment. A geothermal heat pump utilises the constant temperature of the ground. Rooflight substitutes artificial light as much as possible.

The Nebra Sky Disc is the oldest known visual representation of the cosmos – a unique testimony to the cultural history of central Europe. Since it was discovered in Nebra, Saxony-Anhalt/Germany in 2002, the bronze Sky Disc has been the focus of attention from all over the world. Nebra Ark – the multimedia visitors’ centre and the Oberservation Tower near the site where the find was made – pays tribute to the great cultural and historical significance of this unique artefact. It was designed by the Swiss architects Holzer Kobler Architekturen.

Visitors' Center Nebra Ark by Holzer Kobler Architekturen

Here is what the Architects explain:

The emblematic architecture of the Nebra Ark embeds the history of the sky disc into its place of discovery. The golden cladding of the Visitor Center echoes the “solar bark”, one of the motifs depicted on the Sky Disc. The volume of the building is divided into three horizontal bodies. The middle section, between the foundation that appears to be thrust out of the landscape and the golden body towering above, forms a transparent entrance area from where the visitors enter the building at ground level. The core of the Nebra Ark, its luminescent body, floats above the entrance area and points to the 30-meter-high observation tower that marks the site where the disc was discovered. Leaning slightly to one side, the tower has been designed as the pointer of a giant sundial. A permanent exhibition, designed as well by Holzer Kobler Architekturen, provides information about the site and the historical background of the Sky Disc.

The Vienna-based practice Treusch Architecture unveiled the new extension of the Ars Electronica building in Linz in January this year. The sculptural glass-steel construction has been nominated for this year’s WAF Award (World Architecture Festival), shortlisted under the ‘Culture’ category.

Situated between the River Danube and the historic buildings on the one hand and the new Ars Electronica Center on the other, the open deck of Treusch’s extension – the “heart of the Center” – provides public space and seating for open-air theatre and presentations and seems to be perfectly integrated into the city’s events.

Extension of the Ars Electronic Center by Treusch Architects, Photo by Rupert Steiner

But let’s the architects explain it better:

The main thought behind the design has been to create a sculptured building with a structure totally accessible by foot, and therefore an exciting experience within itself. The existing Ars Electronica Center and the new extension are connected to form one unit to be perceived as an ensemble. The crystal-like appearance generates a homogeneous interaction with its surroundings, at the same time becoming a distinctive landmark.

The Layout

The new building forms a unit with the existing AEC. By designing the building in the form of a large glass cube with a double facade, an impression of homogeneity is achieved.

The exhibition area is located beneath this outdoor platform – the main deck – between the main building and the future lab facilities and can be flexibly divided into larger or smaller exhibition areas.

The future lab facilities – for media art research – comprise laboratories and workshops in the basement with offices and recreation rooms above. The upper deck, which is also an outdoor platform two storeys higher than the main deck (and adjacent thereto ?), offers space for additional exhibition areas, presentations, events, etc.

The open deck, Photo by Rupert Steiner

Facade Design

The existing Ars Electronica Center is connected to the new main and supply building by a steel & glass construction.

The double glass facade, partly transparent and partly translucent, can be illuminated by LED (liquid emitting diode) technology installed in the space between the two layers of the facade.

Each facade element with its own LED panel can be individually controlled, with colour and brightness/intensity (RGBW) infinitely variable.

This innovative lighting system – unique in Europe – presents artists with a whole new range of imaginative creativity. The Ars Electronica Center also presents another speciality as standard illumination, the facility to display pure white light. The AEC building turns into a glowing white crystal at the touch of a button.

The illuminated facade, Photo by Andreas Buchberger

Static constructive concept

An encasing steel-glass-construction connects the existing and new several stored main- and supply building.

All new main bodies will be erected with massive construction.

At the main and supply building with 3 basements, ground floor and 5 upper floors, the solid ceilings reach from exterior wall ~12m from exterior wall to exterior wall. The exterior wall till inclusive 1 upper floor will be accomblished through massive ferro- concrete walls with minimum approx. 50% wall percentage. Beyond there is a frontage-backup- system which is absorbing the ceiling.

The encumbrances will be bleed off by raft footing into the underground. All assemblies are accomplished as waterproof ferroconcrete construction till the level of the 500 annual flooding. The lift security is given by empty weight.

The occurred horizontal encumbrances are bleed off into the underground through the north side arranged staircase core as well as the massive exterior walls in connection with the stiff ceiling disc.

Wed 26.8.

The Italian practice 3Gatti won the competition for a car museum in the southern Chinese city of Nanjing.

The museum is articulated in two concentric ramps, which formally consist of a single surface folded up spirally. The “wrinkled” surface of the exhibition space enables the visitors different views of the exposed cars.

Driving up the ramp

“The design of the building is dedicated to the automobile, where the automobile is also the vehicle to visit the space.

You visit the first external ramp of the museum with your own private car, like a safari, you park your car on the roof and visit by foot the internal ramp going down.

The building could seem to appear as a urban car exhibitor, with its corners and angles filled with tempting shining exposed automobiles”, explains Francesco Gatti.